If Twins catcher Joe Mauer stays healthy and continues to perform at his current pace, the $80 million, six-year contract Twins first baseman Justin Morneau recently signed won’t be a franchise record for long.

Mauer, the 2006 American League batting champion, is signed for $33 million through the 2010 season, when he’ll be 27 years old and eligible for free agency. A five-year deal then for baseball’s best catcher likely would be worth at least $100 million.

Look for Scott Skiles to become the next Indiana men’s basketball coach, with assistant Dan Dakich the interim coach for the rest of the season if Kelvin Sampson is replaced this week, as expected. Skiles, 43, was born in LaPorte, Ind., and in 1982, as a senior, he scored 39 points to lead Plymouth High School to the Indiana state championship before going on to an All-America career at Michigan State, where he became the school’s all-time leading scorer.

Twins general manager Billy Smith said Francisco Liriano, delayed in the Dominican Republic because of a visa problem, “threw loose and easy” during a two-inning pitching stint at the Twins’ baseball academy there the other day.

One person who has a vested interest in this year’s U.S. presidential election is ex-Twins pitcher Johan Santana, who could be taxed an additional $6 million if the Democrats win and repeal the Tax Reduction Act.

Each of the Twins’ 16 spring training games in Fort Myers, Fla., will be a 7,500-seat sellout.

It will be a tough call between Gophers-bound Aaron Ness of Roseau and Wisconsin-bound Jake Gardiner of Minnetonka for the Minutemen’s Mr. Hockey Minnesota honor.

The Twins are considering a way to honor ex-Twin Torii Hunter during his return with the Los Angeles Angels to the Metrodome for the March 31 season opener.

As part of the rebuilding process, the Gophers football team is expected to have just a dozen scholarship seniors in 2009.

Former Gopher Paul Molitor would seem to be an easy selection for the College Baseball Hall of Fame this year, when he’s on the ballot for the first time. The St. Paul native already is in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Former Twin Jim Eisenreich gave the keynote address at a fundraising banquet for alma mater St. Cloud State and his Tourette Syndrome Foundation the other day.

A .500 record wouldn’t ensure the Gophers men’s basketball team an NIT berth. A year ago, Iowa didn’t make it with a 17-14 record.

The Gophers men’s basketball team will play at Colorado State next season.

Based on performance evaluation, former Gophers basketball captain Michael Bauer, playing for the Nancy team in France, is rated the 16th-best player in the Ligue Nationale de Basket.

Former Wisconsin men’s basketball star Kammron Taylor of Minneapolis is playing professionally in Spain.

Carrot: A year-old, three-foot patch of real Rose Bowl turf from Pasadena, Calif., continues to be nurtured under grow lights in the Gophers football locker room.

Former Gophers All-American Lindsay Whalen reportedly is being paid about $250,000 to play basketball this winter in Prague, Czech Republic.

Former Eden Prairie and Delaware star Ryan Iversen has taken a job with Boston Scientific.

DeLaSalle 6-foot-8 junior Royce White has 20 NCAA Division I basketball offers, including one from the Gophers.

Former Gophers running back Tellis Redmond is working in security at Minneapolis Roosevelt High School.

Former Gophers linebacker Mike Sherls will participate in the NFL scouts pro day combine March 4 at the Bierman complex.

Ex-Gopher Jermaine Mays, released by the Canadian Football League, is playing for Chicago’s Arena Football League team.

The Minnesota Chapter of NFL Alumni’s Caring for Kids fundraiser banquet will be next Saturday at the Minneapolis downtown Hilton.

The Mancini’s St. Paul Sports Hall of Fame banquet will be May 12 at the Char House.

Sophomore Duane Bennett will be the Gophers’ top running back when spring workouts begin next month.

Kid to watch: Jessica January, a speedy seventh-grader who already is getting playing time for the Richfield varsity girls basketball team and is considered a Division I college prospect.

Gophers baseball coach John Anderson and coaches from Texas Christian and Tulane will headline the Dunkers civic breakfast Feb. 29 at the Minneapolis Club.

Former Rochester, Minn., standout Shjon Podein, who played for the Philadelphia Flyers and Colorado Avalanche, will make the “Let’s Play Hockey” call Tuesday at the Wild-Vancouver Canucks game at the Xcel Energy Center.

Former Gophers basketball captain Jeff Hagen has started six games for the NBA D-League Iowa Energy and is averaging 5.6 points and 4.9 rebounds.

Oakland A’s infielder Jack Hannahan, who worked out this winter with fellow ex-Gopher Reid Mahon, said he wouldn’t be surprised if the hard-throwing right-hander from Como Park gets a chance with the Arizona Diamondbacks this year.

No school has won more Minnesota State High School League-sanctioned state championships than Edina, which has won 123.

Former Gophers outfielder Tom Mee Jr., 52, has directed more than 2,200 TV broadcasts of St. Louis Cardinals games and more than 800 TV broadcasts of St. Louis Blues games.

Charley Walters’ column appears Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. He can be reached at cwalters@pioneerpress.com.

DON’T PRINT THAT

The top six of the Twins’ batting order – Carlos Gomez, Joe Mauer, Delmon Young, Justin Morneau, Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel – could be the same on Opening Day 2010 when the club moves into its new Minneapolis ballpark.

Morneau, after signing an $80 million contract, purchased a private suite for his family and friends in the new ballpark.

Kevin Garnett didn’t even make time to greet Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor, who paid him more than $150 million during his career in Minnesota, when the Boston Celtics recently visited Target Center.

The flagpole from the former Metropolitan Stadium in will be part of the Twins’ new ballpark in downtown Minneapolis.

Don’t be surprised if the Gophers football team has as many as seven newcomers starting on defense next season.

Larry McKenzie, 50, who coached Minneapolis Henry to four state boys basketball championship in eight years, would consider returning to coaching at either the high school or college level.

New Twins pitcher Livan Hernandez, who relies mostly on his breaking ball, would rather walk a batter than give up an extra-base hit.

With the NBA trade deadline Thursday, the Timberwolves say they have no deals pending, but if one is made, it would be minor.

The Gophers football staff says it has internally handled the case of junior linebacker Willie VanDeSteeg, who was charged with two counts of fifth-degree assault after an altercation outside a bar in Biscay, Minn., near his hometown of Glencoe on New Year’s Eve. VanDeSteeg isn’t expected to miss any games next season because of the incident.

Former Lynx star Katie Smith is an unrestricted free agent with Detroit, and word is there’s interest on both sides about her coming back to Minnesota.

Wisconsin and Iowa have to be concerned that Gophers football coach Tim Brewster appears to be tightening up recruiting areas they used to raid.

Southdale is being considered as a park-and-ride shuttle destination for the U.S. Women’s Open golf championship that will be held at Interlachen Country Club in June.

Other Vikings who were MVPs in the Pro Bowl – Fran Tarkenton, Ahmad Rashad and Randy Moss – went on to play magnificently the following seasons, so perhaps that is a good indicator of what to expect next fall from running back Adrian Peterson.

Chances are good the Gophers men’s basketball team will play host to a Big Ten-ACC Challenge game Dec. 1, 2 or 3 at Williams Arena.

Former Gophers offensive line coach Gordie Shaw is under consideration for the University of South Dakota offensive coordinator job.

OVERHEARD

Former Twins great Tony Oliva, on turning 70 next July: “Now, every year’s a bonus.”

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